Sled.



W. GILLASPIE.

SLED.

APPLICATION 211.111) JAN. 12. 1910.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

1H: Mann's FIT! :04, wllnulafoll, D

WELLINGTON GILLASPIE, 0F ELIZABETH, WEST VIRGINIA.

SLED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

Application filed January 12, 1910. Serial No. 537,660.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WELLINGTON GILLAs- Pin, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Wirt, State of WVest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleds; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as-will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make 'and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in sleds, more particularly to the larger and heavier class of sleds employed for hauling heavy loads, and has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructed device whereby the draft tongue may be coupled to the sled runners and the coupling devices utilized to support the runners in their separated position.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claim; and, in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a conventional sled with the improvement applied, Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line 33 of Fig. 1, illustrating the manner of coupling the draft tongue to the sled.

The improved device may be applied to any of the ordinary forms of sleds, but for the purpose of illustration is shown applied to a conventional sled structure in which 1011 represent the runners, 12 the bolster member, and 14l15 the knees or brackets by which the bolster is coupled to the runners.

Extending through the forward ends of the runners is a relatively heavy rod or roller member 16, the roller member being threaded at the ends and firmly secured in position by binding nuts 1718 externally of the runners. Bearing at its ends beneath the roller 16 is a bow-shaped member 19, the outer edges of the member 19 at the ends bearing against the inner faces of the runners, and thus maintaining them in spaced relations. At its terminals the member 19 is formed with half-bearings one of which is shown at 20 and engaging beneath the roller member 16, and secured in position by caps 2122, the caps being bolted or otherwise secured to the member 19, as shown at 2324. By this means the member 19 is firmly coupled to the member 16, while at the same time serving as a spacer member to maintain the runners in their separated position.

The draft tongue of the sled is represented at 25-and extends at its inner ends over the member 16 and is provided in its inner face at its inner end with a half-bearing 26 fitting over the member 16 and secured in position by a U bolt 27. The member 16 is provided with stop collars 28- 29 between which the draft tongue engages, to prevent movement of the tongue longitudinally of the member 16. The member 19 extends beneath the tongue 26 and is secured thereto by a'bolt 30 or other suitable fastening device. By this means the draft tongue is firmly coupled in position to the member 16 and likewise to the member 19, and efiectually prevented from lateral or swinging movement relative to the sled runners. By this simple means the tongueis firmly coupled to the sled while at the same time free to swing upon or with the member 16, while the runner members 101l are firmly supported in their separated position and firmly braced and supported by the member 19, which thus serves the two fold function of a means for maintaining the runners in their spaced relations, and bracing and supporting the draft tongue in its position and maintaining it centrally of the runners.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured and applied, and materially improves the utility and efficiency of the sled.

What is claimed is The combination with a sled including runners spaced apart, of a rod extending through the runners, stop collars spaced apart upon said rod intermediate the ends thereof, a bow-shaped member coupled at its ends to said rod and bearing against the inner faces of the runners, a draft tongue In testimony whereof, I aifix my signacoupled at its inner end to saild rod get-$6611 ture, in presence of two Witnesses.

said sto collars and revente there y rem T longitudinal movem dnt 0n the rod, said WELLINGTOL GILLASPIE' tongue being extended over said bow-shaped Vitnesses:

member, and means for coupling said bow- WALTER RATHBONE,

shaped member to said tongue. G. W. HOFFMAN. 

